Right Book Right Time Read online

  First published in 2007

  Copyright © Agnes Nieuwenhuizen, 2007

  All extracts quoted in this book are copyright © their respective authors.

  All book covers are copyright © their respective publishers.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) allows a maximum of one chapter or ten per cent of this book, whichever is the greater, to be photocopied by any educational institution for its educational purposes provided that the educational institution (or body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) under the Act.

  Allen & Unwin

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  Crows Nest NSW 2065

  Australia

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  Web: www.allenandunwin.com

  National Library of Australia

  Cataloguing-in-Publication entry:

  Nieuwenhuizen, Agnes.

  Right book, right time : 500 great reads for teenagers.

  ISBN 978 174114 883 1 (pbk.).

  1. Best books. 2. Young adult literature – Bibliography. 3. Teenagers – Books and reading. I. Title.

  011.625

  Cover and text design by Ruth Grüner

  Cover photographs: Mathieu Viennet/istockphoto.com (front),

  Tanya Constantine/Getty Images (back),

  Izabela Habur/istockphoto.com (spine)

  Set in 9.8 pt Metaplus Book by Ruth Grüner

  Printed and bound in Australia by Griffin Press

  2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1

  contents

  introduction

  how to read right book right time

  action, adventure & crime

  poets raiding the novelists’ shelves

  by MIKE SHUTTLEWORTH

  been & gone

  extreme & edgy

  fantastic worlds

  life, love & loss

  in praise of pink books

  by LILI WILKINSON

  my place in the world

  lost without translation

  by JOHN NIEUWENHUIZEN

  not such ordinary lives

  outside the square

  let your eyes dance

  by ERICA WAGNER

  this sporting life

  war & conflicts

  weird & wonderful stuff

  by KEVIN STEINBERGER

  what if . . . ?

  pictures tell stories too

  by LINNET HUNTER

  when you want to laugh

  index

  In memory of my son

  John Nieuwenhuizen (Jnr)

  24/04/1961–20/10/2006

  introduction

  You have to read a book at the right time for you, and I am sure this cannot be insisted on too often, for it is the key to the enjoyment of literature.

  (Doris Lessing in The Pleasure of Reading, Bloomsbury)

  To discover a book you love is not that different from discovering a person you love, and you can experience every emotion reading it . . .

  (Jane Sullivan, The Age)

  . . . if you’re reading a book that’s killing you, put it down and read something else.

  (Nick Hornby, The Complete Polysyllabic Spree, Penguin)

  Read! Read! Read! Read for pleasure, for thrills, for escape, for ideas. Read books that make you laugh and cry and wonder and think. Read for yourself and not for others.

  But share books too, with friends, teachers and family. The best kind of recommendation is from someone whose opinion you trust or whose tastes are similar to yours. Many adults enjoy books written for younger people, just as teenagers like reading books for adults alongside those written specifically for them. ‘Now, more and more adults acknowledge that some of the best writing today is in the YA field and find no shame or stigma in reading it.’ (Jonathan Hunt, Horn Book Magazine, March/April 2007)

  For all those voracious and eclectic teenage readers there are over 500 books to choose from in Right Book, Right Time. I haven’t tried to provide a definitive or comprehensive selection but rather a large and enticing smorgasbord of mostly recent titles along with reminders of some older but still wonderful books. The quality, range and sophistication of books for teenagers today is astonishing, so the challenge was deciding what to leave out. There are quick reads, chunky reads, demanding reads and tantalising, innovative books with dazzling use of language. You will find scary books, funny books, sad books and some books that manage to be scary, funny and sad all at once. (Why are so many of the funny books Australian?)

  Many of the writers included are famous (Pullman, Zusak, Provoost, Hartnett, McCarthy, Horowitz, Reilly, Cabot, Rowling, Crew, Marsden, Murray, Almond) but there are also exciting new ones, some with ambitious first books (Rosoff, Singleton, Shanahan, Green, Howell, L Wilkinson, Higgins).

  The 200 main entries, in twelve thematic sections, are about recent books. There is one book per author, unless they have written in very different genres. This means readers are introduced to a rich variety of contemporary writers and voices. The many spinoff titles allow readers to follow their interests and to make those all-important connections: another book by . . . , another book like . . . , some earlier books about . . .

  Alongside the outstanding Australian titles, there are great books from the USA, UK, Canada and Europe and even a few from Asia and Africa. Several European books have been translated from languages including French, Italian, German and Dutch. I have also ranged back in time to bring in earlier books – including classics – that amply repay a visit. Above all, I’ve tried to offer stepping stones, links, tangents, short-cuts and detours in the hope that everyone will find a reading trail that satisfies them.

  Feel like some action and adventure? Or a crime novel or good mystery? Then the ‘Action, Adventure, Crime’ section is for you. In the mood for a realistic story about the lives of teenagers? Look under ‘Life, Love & Loss’. After something more edgy? Go to the ‘Extreme or Edgy’ entries. The ‘What if . . . ? ‘section invites you to think about some big questions and includes exciting stories about genetic engineering, global warming, cloning and teleportation. (Why are so many of these from New Zealand and the UK?)

  When you go on holiday, do you love getting lost in large, engrossing fantasy tales? You loved the Harry Potter books but you’ve read them all. What now? Well, dip into the ‘Fantastic Worlds’ section of over fifty titles. Fascinated by war stories or stories set in the past? Delve into the sections titled ‘Been & Gone’ and ‘War & Conflicts’. Curious about the real or imagined lives of others? Explore ‘Not Such Ordinary Lives’. Have you read Markus Zusak’s extraordinary The Book Thief, a hit in the USA, the UK, and at home in Australia? You can find this, along with other bestsellers or much-loved and widely-discussed books such as those of J K Rowling, Margaret Mahy, Philip Pullman, Ursula Dubosarsky, David Almond, Mark Haddon and Sonya Hartnett, in a section called ‘Outside the Square’.

  The ‘Fantastic Worlds’ and ‘This Sporting Life’ sections were written respectively by Lili Wilkinson and Mike Shuttleworth my colleagues at the Centre for Youth Literature, where I worked for several years. I felt they knew more about these areas than me. For the same reason, a few individual entries have also been written by others. You’ll find six Mini Essays scattered through the book. These encourage you to explore some lesser-known areas. Are
graphic novels and pink books worth reading? Would we be lost without translation? And what do we think about verse novels, picture books for older readers, and the weird and wonderful nonfiction that some teenage boys love to read? Shouldn’t all these be on library shelves?

  As well as recent books I particularly enjoyed, I’ve included some older books I read and loved when I was a teenager, when there were no books written specifically for young adults. Many of these still enthral today’s readers. The challenge, as Doris Lessing emphasised, is to find the right book at the right time.

  AGNES NIEUWENHUIZEN

  how to read

  Each book in Right Book Right Time is coded with a reading age.

  Y = Younger Readers

  YA = Young Adult

  A = Adult

  The order in which these codes appear indicates the primary audience for a book, or the audience for which the book was initially published. For example, YA/A means the book is primarily for young adults but is also of interest to adults. A/YA means the book was published for adults but is also appropriate for and of interest to teenagers. YA/Y means the book was published for teenagers but is accessible to younger readers.

  The books are arranged alphabetically by title within thematic sections. You can also look up titles, authors or series in the index.

  action, adventure & crime

  Sometimes we want to read for thrills, action and escape, and to immerse ourselves in a breathtaking adventure. Crime fiction is a popular form of easy, absorbing reading for many teenagers, as it is for adults. There’s nothing like that feeling when you can’t wait to turn the page or find the time to get back to your book. The best action, adventure and crime fiction is often very up-to-date and uses recent developments in the real world of espionage, people smuggling, the drug trade, terrorism, cutting-edge technology and global events. Such books also delve into complex motives and methods of operating. If you love fast-paced action, being scared, or solving crimes from the comfort of your chair, your bed or the beach, here are some books for you.

  The Alex Rider Adventures ANTHONY HOROWITZ

  YA UK

  The bomb had been timed to go off at exactly half past three.

  So begins ARK ANGEL (2005), the sixth Alex Rider book. Leaping straight into the story with a sharp, short, high-octane opening is typical of this series, described by the Guardian as ‘explosive, thrilling, action-packed’. Clearly you have to go on reading to find out how, why, what, who, when and even if. The Daily Mirror claimed, ‘Horowitz is pure class, stylish but action-packed . . . Being James Bond in miniature is way cooler than being a wizard’. The reference is obviously to the Harry Potter series, and when Alex Rider nudged Harry Potter off the top of the bestseller list, the news made headlines. The Alex Rider series has sold over eight million copies world wide. K-Zone had this to say to the target audience of Ark Angel: ‘You won’t be able to put it down until you’ve read the very last page! – 4 stars: Cool as an ice cube in Eminem’s glass of Coke.’

  Pace, superb timing, big bangs, minimal description and dialogue, and an array of clever, teenage-friendly gadgets are what fuel these books. And at the centre of all the action is the quick witted, ever ingenious and never-say-die fourteen-year-old hero, Alex. Horowitz must enjoy creating the techie stuff as much as Alex revels in using it. Readers certainly enjoy all the zapping, crashing and flashing.

  On each mission Alex faces huge challenges – even death – and finds himself in extraordinary locations (even once in the US President’s plane, Air Force One). He also gets to meet gorgeous girls (but of course). But, for all the escapism, the books are grounded in reality. Horowitz gets most of his ideas from the news, and this, with careful research, adds a level of currency and credibility.

  STORMBREAKER began the series and sets the tone. When Alex’s uncle and guardian is killed in mysterious circumstances, Alex discovers that, far from being a staid Vice President of a bank, his uncle was a spy. Immediately, the government wants Alex (don’t stop to ask why) to take over his uncle’s mission investigating the makers of a revolutionary computer system, code-named Stormbreaker. Alex Rider is transformed from schoolboy to superspy within days, though a particular feature of these books is that Alex Rider, unlike James Bond, is a reluctant hero pressured into working for MI6. After each completed mission he’s happy to get back to school and normal life.

  Another reason for the popularity of the series is that while the books are not formulaic, they do follow a pattern. You know the kind of reading experience to expect, and you know you won’t be let down. Also appealing is that you care about the hero and some of the other characters.

  The plots and scenarios are clever and move fast enough for us not to dwell on exploits and escapes that can be pretty farfetched. It’s exciting, inventive, escapist fun. Above all, the reader is desperate to know what will happen. When you come to the end of one adventure you are ready for the next.

  The Alex books in order of appearance are Stormbreaker (2000), POINT BLANK (2001), SKELETON KEY (2002), EAGLE STRIKE (2003), SCORPIA (2004) and ARK ANGEL (2005). SNAKEHEAD (2007), the seventh book, is partially set in Australia, where Alex touches down at the end of Ark Angel. Horowitz has promised his readers he will stop writing Alex Rider books when Alex turns fifteen, but in the world of fiction, time is stretchable. There is also a Stormbreaker movie, a graphic novel and a website for enthusiastic fans.« www.alexrider.com »

  Horowitz is a prolific writer who also writes scripts for TV, movies and the stage. Adults will recognise his much-loved creations Foyle’s War and Midsomer Murders. He has also written scripts based around Agatha Christie stories, including Agatha Christie’s Poirot and Murder Most Horrid, and has created a dark, supernatural series for slightly older readers, Power of Five, and the popular Diamond Brothers series for younger readers.

  Beast ALLY KENNEN

  YA UK 2006

  I decide that I’ll take the pig back to the house and cut it up. Then I’ll be able to manage it. This might sound simple to you, but it isn’t really. You see my house isn’t my home. At all, even though I’ve lived there for three years. And the family aren’t my real family. I am what is known as a ‘Looked After Child’. When I was younger they called it ‘Being in Care.’

  Beast is a scary book, full of menace. We rush and pant after Stephen as he tries to deal with him and to hold together his own complicated, rapidly disintegrating life. He eats a pig a week and he roars. So Stephen needs a pig to feed him. He has been living in a cage near a reservoir for four years. In that time he has grown.

  Stephen’s life is getting more difficult all the time. He’s about to turn seventeen, so will no longer be fostered, and he’s expected to move into a depressing hostel full of derelicts. His foster family is a mixed bag, including the apparently manipulative teenager, Carol. To make matters worse, Stephen has just lost his job and still has to deal with him.

  Beast starts with a grim list of the nine worst things Stephen has ever done. They include bullying, vandalism, arson and even ‘perversion, aged thirteen: nicked a neighbour’s white, lacy bra from her washing line’. He imagines that number ten will read, ‘murder, aged seventeen’. He hasn’t done it yet, but Stephen knows he may have to kill him.

  Stephen has had a very grim life, hence the foster homes. His father is around but pretty much a derelict. Even so, Beast is funny, compassionate and sad – a very well-paced and cleverly constructed first novel. Stephen’s voice is strong and clear. He’s surprisingly thoughtful and astute, and responds to situations in unexpected ways. Don’t make your mind up about him (or anyone else in this book) too soon. As you read you may fear Beast will give you nightmares, but by the time you reach the end you may feel quite differently.

  The Black Book of Secrets FE HIGGINS

  YA/A UK 2007

  By the time I staggered onto the bridge I was barely able to hold myself upright. Halfway across I saw a carriage outside the Nimble Finger. Just as its wheels began t
o turn, I clambered on the back, hanging on for my life. As the carriage pulled away the last thing I remember is the sight of Ma sinking to her knees. She was screaming at me from the river bank and the monster, Barton Gumbroot, was shaking his fist in rage.

  In this rollicking 19th-century pastiche, Ludlow Fitch’s gin-soaked Ma rages because her ‘diabolic plan’ to allow Gumbroot to yank all Ludlow’s teeth out for a good sum (before the days of anaesthetic, of course) is foiled. Ludlow, a nifty pickpocket who is constantly exploited by his parents, finds refuge with Mr Jellicoe, the mysterious pawnbroker who teaches him to read and write.

  The owner of the carriage in the quote above is the evil, foul-smelling Jeremiah Ratchet, rich through blackmailing the poor of the remote hilltop village of Pagus Parvus. Just arrived in the village to open a pawnshop is the mysterious Joe Zabbidou. Ludlow becomes Zabbidou’s trusty offsider and scribe.

  Other wonderfully named characters in the village include gravedigger Obadiah Strang, baker Elias Sourdough, physician Samuel Mouldered, and Perigoe Leafbinder, the bookseller. All have terrible secrets. Zabbidou relieves them of guilt by inviting them to tell their stories. Ludlow duly inscribes these into the Black Book of Secrets. Joe even rewards each handsomely so they can pay off their debts to Ratchett, infuriating the latter. Dastardly deeds are revealed and the dire consequences lead to mayhem and catastrophe . . . Expect to hear more from this inventive, dashing new storyteller.